


In All Color

by FuzzyPurplePenguins



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-04 22:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1086504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuzzyPurplePenguins/pseuds/FuzzyPurplePenguins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is different; he doesn't Shimmer, and Niall can't get a read on him at all.</p>
<p>"Do I have something on my face?" The brunette smirks.</p>
<p>"Sorry," Niall says. "I've just never met someone like you before."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> -Harry and Liam will appear next chapter.  
> -This is a prologue, which is why it jumps around a lot. It's also why it is so short. Next chapter will be a lot more linear, with the start of the real story. :-I don't know where this came from, but I'm not sorry.  
> -Enjoy.

xxxxxxxxxx

For as long as he can remember, Niall's been able to see the Shimmers.

His mum and dad are a deep forest green around the edges, and they're always brighter when they're together. His older brother Greg is a soft brown-gold, like a tiger's eye stone.

One of the neighbor kids is a deep fuschia color-which Niall thinks is a bit funny-and his mother's dulled around the edges, a light purple that faded to gray.

(Many years later, Niall will make the connection between her Shimmer and the deceased status of her husband.)

Up until sometime around the age of nine, Maura and Bobby Horan think the Shimmers are just figments of Niall's imagination. Then one day he off-handedly comments about them being 'brighter around each other', and Maura, looking into her youngest son's eyes, realizes he is telling the truth.

Greg stops teasing him about "being strange" the next day-and starts calling him shortie instead.

xxxxxxxxxx

In Niall's junior year of high school, the Horans move to England, and he meets Louis and Zayn.

"Hi!" The older boy proclaims loudly, plopping down across from the bottle blonde at his lonesome lunchroom table. "I'm Louis. You look new. Are you new?"

"Lou, mate, leave him alone," A black-haired male says, sitting down next to Louis. "Sorry bout him. I'm Zayn."

Niall blinks at them slowly, getting used to the glittering colors shading their bodies. Louis is a bright, almost playful orange that makes his eyes tingle. Zayn's a deep royal purple, relaxed and mellow.

Niall would bet anything that they are best friends.

"Niall," He says after a moment's pause. "Yeah, my family just moved here. I'm a junior."

"You're Irish!" Louis says delightedly. "Excellent, excellent. Welcome to hell, Niall. We're now friends."

"I don't think that's how it works," The bottle blonde says confusedly, and Zayn just chuckles, his Shimmer brightening briefly.

"With Louis? Yeah, it does."

xxxxxxxxxx

As it turns out, Zayn's right. He, Niall, and Louis all become fast friends.

Louis' older-a senior, while Zayn's a junior like Niall. They are next door neighbors, and have been friends since they were eight, when they discovered a mutual love for Power Rangers.

(Zayn looks embarrassed when Louis tells that story. The junior doesn't even know what the word embarrassed means)

Zayn's an artist, and is part of what he calls the 'cool jazz poppy choir' (their school also has what Louis calls the 'ballet classical bible opera' choir). Lou, on the other hand, seems vaguely popular, which is probably in part due to being one of the stars of the footie team.

Louis, upon learning Niall used to play for his middle school team back in Mullingar, tries to convince the blonde to join the team, but Niall wants to get settled first, so he tells Lou, "maybe next year".

Louis pouts at him, but eventually-three weeks later-excepts his decision.

xxxxxxxxxx

Three months into the school year, and Louis develops a crush on Eleanor Calder, a senior in their drama class.

"I'm going to ask her out," He says, mushing his hair into what he probably considers is a cool quiff.

Niall looks at her, confused, and says, "But she isn't orange."

Zayn and Louis stare at him.

"Well, of course she's not orange," Louis says slowly.

"Yeah, but YOU are," Niall says, pointing at him.

"What the hell, mate?" Zayn says.

Niall looks at Eleanor, blinking at the bright aqua lights. "She's blue," He says, frustrated. "Well, it's sort of a teal or aqua, but it's definitely not orange," Niall turns to look at Louis. "And YOU'RE orange. Bright, playful orange."

"Are you high?" Zayn looks amused.

"No," Niall says, running a hand through his hair. "Ugh, just forget it."

"No, c'mon Nialliantor," Lou says. "What are you talking about?"

Niall scrunches his nose up, and says, "My mum calls them soul colors. It's like...I see you glowing, glimmering, a color that represents you and...your soulmate has the same color. But the feel is different."

"What," Zayn says flatly.

"You probably think I'm insane now," Niall says.

Louis looks across the room at Eleanor, down at his hand, then back at Niall. "...what color is Zayn?"

Niall does a double take. "Wait, you believe me?"

"The world is full of strange things," Louis says solemnly.

"Like you," Zayn snorts, but he looks vaguely curious.

"Zayn's royal purple," Niall says slowly. "Relaxed and easy. Mellow."

Louis snickers. "Well, that makes sense."

Zayn shoves him in the shoulder. "Shut up, Orangie."

Niall grins.

"What color are you?" Louis asks when he's done pouting, and Niall holds his hand up to his face, tilting it.

"I don't know. I don't have a Shimmer."

"Huh," Louis says. "So you can't see your own 'soul-color'?"

Niall shrugs.

"So you can look at people and instantly tell who they're meant to be with, but you have to struggle just like the rest of us? That sucks," Zayn says.

"Yeah," Niall says, and that's that.

xxxxxxxxxx

Louis takes full advantage, of course.

"What color's she? What about that dude with the snapback? The old grandma? That banging chick in the corner, please tell me she's Louis-orange," He pleads a month after Niall told them about his 'gift'.

"Shut up," Zayn says, and punches him in the shoulder.

Niall shakes his head and says, "No, Lou, you don't match."

"You'd tell me if you found someone Louis-orange, right?" Louis peers at him suspiciously.

"Course, mate," Niall says, shoving chips in his mouth. "'ou 'oo, 'ayn."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Zayn says, flicking Niall on the nose, and turns to Louis. "Why do you want to know, anyway? You'd still have to wine, dine, and woo them anyways."

"Yeah, but at least I'd be able to focus my attentions on one person, instead of wondering what-if," The senior frowns, casting his eyes across the Food Court of the mall. "You ever think about making a chart, Ni?"

"Tried when I was younger," Niall says after swallowing his food. "You wouldn't believe how many colors..."

"Nialler?" Louis says when Niall doesn't finish, staring straight ahead. The older boy follows his gaze, eyes landing on a pretty bleached-blonde sitting with three other girls. "What color?"

Niall blinks, rubs his eyes, and continues to stare. "Royal purple."

Zayn's head snaps up.

"Wait, seriously?" Louis complains. "You found Zayn's one true love before mine?"

Niall looks at Zayn, then back at the girl. "Apparently."

Zayn fidgets in his chair.

"Z, you should go talk to her," Louis encourages.

"What the hell am I supposed to say to her, Lou? 'Hi, I'm Zayn, and one of my best friends says we have matching soul colors. Wanna go out on a date?'"

"It doesn't hurt to try?" Louis shrugs, and looks over at Niall. "You're the expert here."

Niall can't stop staring. "I've never seen matching soul colors before. I mean, before they were together," He tries to explain.

"Helpful," Zayn says.

Louis looks at Zayn, then at the blonde chick, then back at Zayn.

"What?" The dark haired boy asks, sneaking a glance at the blonde female.

Louis pushes back his chair and starts to walk across the Food Court.

"Louis!" Zayn hisses after him, looking a little panicked, and Niall starts laughing his ass off.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Her name is Perrie Edwards," Louis announces when he returns ten minutes later, slapping a piece of paper in Zayn's hands. "And she thinks you're attractive as fuck. She wants you to call her."

Zayn sort of stares at him, then down at the slip of paper in his fingers. "Seriously, Lou?"

"Yep," Louis says. "And now you owe me."

"Well done, Loulou," Niall says, and slaps him a high-five.

Zayn's phone beeps. He stares down at it.

"Oh," Louis says. "I may have also given her your number, as well."

"I can't decide if I love or hate you right now," Zayn says, and flips open his phone to text her back.

Louis smirks, and turns to look at Niall. "You should totally make me your sidekick."

"Nope," Niall says, and gets up to take his garbage to the trash.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Liam meet the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a few things to address:  
> -The start of this chapter takes place about a year and a half after the end of the prologue, when Niall, Zayn, and Perrie start uni. Louis, of course, has already been at uni for a year.  
> -I'm really bad at estimating story length, so the chapter count may change at any time.  
> -While I am addressing each soulmate relationship early on, they'll take a while to develop. I will also be exploring Zerrie's relationship, despite them already being together at the start of this chapter.
> 
> I think that's it for now. Let me know what you thought, and enjoy the chapter!

xxxxxxxxxx

"Welcome to uni," Louis says, and pulls the van to a stop.

Perrie lets out a whoop of excitement from the backseat, causing Zayn to chuckle fondly at her and dip down to kiss her lips.

"OI!" Louis shouts. "No making out in my van!"

"Good luck enforcing that one," Niall snorts, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"Right then," Zayn says, sliding the van door open. "We'll just make out outside the van, then, mate?"

"I hate you so much!" Louis yells as Perrie follows Zayn out of the van.

"Then why'd you offer to drive us to campus?" Niall asks as he gets out of the van.

"...Shut up," Louis grumbles as he slams the door shut. "Oi, lovebirds!" He yells at Zayn and Perrie, who really are making out against the van. "I'm not grabbing your stuff, you have hands for a reason!"

"Yes we do," Zayn smirks, and slips his arms around Perrie's waist, lifting her into the air and making her shriek.

"I shall never forgive you for telling Zayn they had matching soul colors," Louis grumbles in Niall's direction.

"And yet you were the one who actually got them together," Niall smirks as he lets his eyes gaze across they crowded campus. "So many colors..."

This causes Perrie and Zayn to break apart, as the now purple-haired female (that had given Louis quite the laughs, which had ended up in Perrie being told Niall's little secret) looks at the bottle blonde worriedly. "Are you alright, Niall?"

"Yeah," He says, shading his eyes. "Just gotta get used to it."

"Any orange?" Louis asks hopefully, propping his chin on Niall's shoulder and staring at the masses of their fellow students, like this view would allow him to see what Niall always saw.

Niall squints, gazing back out at the sea of silhouettes moving boxes into the various dorm halls. "Sorry Lou. I've got blood-orange and orange juice-orange, but no Louis-orange."

Louis deflates, then shakes it off. "Whatever. I'm still young. I don't need to be tied down by chasing after my soulmate then nearly losing them."

Zayn glares at him as Perrie laughs. Niall just smirks and retrieves the first of the boxes labeled NIALL from the back of Louis' van.

"Let's get going, or we'll be unpacking Perrie's stuff in the dark," He calls to his friends, hefting the box in his arms.

"Calm your tits, Horan," Louis says, coming around to the back of the van.

"Hey! I take offense to that," Perrie pouts, swatting Louis on the bum and making him squawk.

Zayn grins at her and Niall shakes his head. Like they didn't know those two were made for each other.

"Abuse! Abuse! Zayn, get your crazy girlfriend off of me!" Louis yelps.

"Get him, Perrie!" The darker haired boy laughs. "He's super ticklish on his sides."

"TRAITOR!" Louis screams, and Niall laughs all the way up to his dorm.

xxxxxxxxxx

"You must be Niall Horan," His roommate smiles, extending his arm. "I'm Liam. Liam Payne."

Niall blinks at him, looks down at his hand, and shakes it firmly.

"I've claimed the right side, if that's okay with you?" The tall, fit, brunette boy asks. "I'm pretty neat, too, so you won't have to worry about my stuff being everywhere."

"...right, cool," Niall says. "Uh, my friends are going to be traipsing in and out for a while, help me get all my stuff up here."

"Alright," Liam says, and blinks as Niall keeps staring a him. "...do I have anything on my shirt?"

"Jesus, Nialler, what the hell did you pack in here, bricks?" Louis complains as he practically bursts in the dorm room, dropping the box on the floor.

Niall looks at Louis, then Liam, then back at Louis.

"You must be one of the friends," Liam says, and Louis' head snaps up.

"Oh, helloooo," He says, not so subtly eyeing Liam's impressive biceps. "I'm Louis. Nice to meet you."

"Liam," Liam says, and they shake hands.

"Nialler? Are you alright?" Zayn asks as he and Perrie walk in the room.

"Does he space out a lot or something?" Liam asks.

"Not normally," Lou frowns, and snaps his fingers in front of the blonde's face. "Ni, you in there?"

"Louis," Niall chokes, points to Liam, and then at Louis, and then back at Liam. "Orange."

Zayn starts to laugh. "Are you kidding me? Your roommate? Really?"

"Is he okay?" Liam asks worriedly.

Perrie looks back and forth, then her face lights up. "Yep, he'll be fine! Hey, can you help me and Zayn carry this one box? We need more then two people to lift it..."

"No problem," Liam says, and with one last curious glance at Niall, follows Perrie and Zayn out the door.

Louis watches him leave, then turns on Niall. "Are you serious? Is he really Louis-orange? HE'S SO ATTRACTIVE."

"Louis, shut up!" Niall laughs, punching him in the arm. "Christ. Who would've thought, my uni roommate turns out to be your soulmate."

Louis just grins. "I am going to seduce the hell out of him."

Niall raises an eyebrow. "Do you think you might want to try getting to know him first? Maybe a few dates before you drag him into bed?"

Louis just looks at him. "Nialler. You have seen him, right?"

The Irishman sighs. "Whatever mate. No fucking in my dorm though."

"I make no promises!" Louis yells, practically skipping out the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

Liam turns out to be nice, like super-nice, and offers to help move Zayn and Perrie's stuff as well.

"Sold," Louis says. "Nialler! Don't chase your roommate off! We're keeping him!"

Liam blushes.

"If anyone's going to chase him off it'll probably be you," Niall grumbles under his breath.

The older male flips him off, grin still plastered onto his face.

"You don't have to help us," Perrie says, lifting one of Zayn's black duffle bags onto her shoulder. "I'm sure we'll manage just fine on our own."

"It's no problem," Liam smiles at her, lifting the box marked ZAYN'S ART SUPPLIES easily. "I want to help."

Louis sort of swoons in the background.

"I'm contemplating throwing a shoe at his head," Zayn says, narrowing his eyes.

"Who? Liam or Louis?" Niall asks, confused, as the five of them begin mounting the two flights of stairs towards Zayn's dorm, Room 3432, which is on the opposite side of Cherry Hall from Niall's room.

"Louis," Zayn says. "Why would anyone want to hurt Liam? He seems like such a nice person."

"If he hangs out with us for long that might change," Niall says, and kicks Louis in the back of the shin when they catch up to him. "Stop staring at my roommate's ass."

"Never," Louis says solemnly as they step off the staircase into the fairly crowded hallway. "Which way, Malik?"

"Left," Zayn yells, and Perrie, who's in front, turns abruptly.

"You could have warned me ahead of time!" Perrie pouts at her boyfriend, narrowly avoiding a blue-haired male holding a potted plant.

"I love you!" Zayn yells back at her.

"Are you guys always like this?" Liam asks, turning his head towards Niall.

"Only when Louis is around," The Irishman replies cheekily.

"OI!" Louis says, then pauses. "Nah, you're right."

"Sorry, Liam," Perrie says. "It's too late to back out now. You're one of us."

"Do I get an adjustment period?" Liam replies, arching an eyebrow as they stop in front of Zayn's dorm.

Louis grins, wiggling his eyebrows. "Sure, let's call it that."

"Oh my god, Tommo, shut up," Zayn groans as he fishes his dorm key out of his pocket, finally kicking the door open.

"YOU LOVE ME," Louis says as he practically shoves past the dark-haired boy. "Oh, hello there. Zayn, your roommate is hot!"

"I hate you, I officially hate you," Zayn grumbles.

"Don't question it," Niall says to Liam as he passes by the brunette. "Louis is an unsolved mystery."

"An unsolved mystery no one wants to solve?" Liam chuckles.

"Now you're getting it-" Niall stops in the doorway.

"NIALL," Perrie whines. "Move your ass."

The Irishman blinks, and stumbles aside.

xxxxxxxxxx

The first thing Niall notices about Zayn's roommate is the absence of a Shimmer glittering around his body.

Secondly: Lou's right. He is really, REALLY attractive, with the brunette curls and the piercing green eyes and the muscles hidden behind his laid-back fashion sense.

"Which one of you is Zayn?" The brunette says, voice molasses slow, and Niall whimpers.

Perrie arches an eyebrow at him, and Niall tries to hide behind Liam.

"That'd be me," The dark haired boy sets down his box on the unclaimed bed, outstretching his hand.

"Harry," The brunette says, taking Zayn's hand. "Harry Styles."

Niall makes a whine in the back of his throat, and throws an innocent look on his face when Perrie stares at him suspiciously.

"Sorry 'bout Louis, here," Zayn points to the short brunette. "He's a bit a of a wild card."

"Malik! I am offended!" Louis gasps, pressing his hand to his chest. "Only a bit?"

Niall snorts, louder then he means to, and tries hard not to flush when Harry locks eyes with him-

-And then proceeds to rake his gaze up and down Niall's body.

'I'm going to die,' Niall thinks. 'I'm just gonna melt into a puddle right here.'

"Are you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends?" Harry asks, voice deeper before.

Niall practically faceplants into Liam's back.

"Right," Zayn says. "That's my girlfriend, Perrie, in the corner."

"Hello!" The purple-haired girl waves, having dropped Zayn's duffles on the floor.

"And that muscly guy is Liam, who I actually only just met like fifteen minutes ago because he's Niall's roommate-Ni, what the hell are you doing?" Zayn asks.

"I'm hungry," Niall bemoans. "And tired. Liam makes an excellent pillow."

"When are you not hungry?" Louis snarks from where he's sitting on Zayn's bed, perfectly comfortable.

"Shut up, Tommo, old man. I am a growing boy."

"I AM ONE YEAR OLDER-"

Niall flees for his life out of Zayn's dorm, Louis hot on his heels.

xxxxxxxxxx

Another hour and a half later, and the six of them-Louis somehow had managed to get Harry to help them all out-having finished moving Perrie into her dorm.

"I'm tired," Louis groans, collapsing on the floor.

"I second that," Perrie says.

"Neeeeedddd. Fooooddddd," Niall cries into Liam's shoulder, who pats him on the head sympathetically.

"You're always hungry," Zayn rolls his eyes. "But I could go for a bite, too."

"There's a pizza place about a block off campus," Harry says, practically looming over all of them but Liam.

"Pizzzaaaaaaa," Niall whimpers, clutching onto Liam's shirt even tighter, pretending not to notice the unpleasant look Lou's giving them.

"I guess that decides it," Perrie says. "Let's go get some pizza-"

"PIZZAAAA," Niall shouts, pushing off Liam and running out the door.

"HORAN, you idiot, WAIT FOR US," Zayn yells after him, and Niall just flings his hand in the air as the other five run after him.

Liam catches up to him outside the dorm building easily, throwing an arm around Niall's shoulders and holding him in place until the other four can catch up to them.

"Which way, new friend?" Louis asks, standing on his tip toes to poke Harry in the cheek.

"I just realized, you are so short," Zayn snorts.

"No one asked you!" Louis yells in mock-outrage, and tackles Zayn to the ground.

"Pizzaaaa," Niall whines, batting at Liam's arms.

"This way," Harry says, pointing to the left and walking right past Zayn and Louis without a second glance.

"We're keeping him too," Perrie says, and follows after him.

"You're all strange," Liam comments as he finally lets go of Niall.

"We already told you," The blonde replies. "You're stuck with us. Now, c'mon, the pizza is waiting."

xxxxxxxxxx


End file.
